Would be interested to know how many of the shoulder charge advocates actually play/played the game. It's easy to scream for maximum carnage for our own gratification from the sidelines isn't it?

All the replies and tweets from current players at my club (Low level amateur club) are against the ban.

With the best, thats a good bit of PR, though I would say the Bedford team, theres, like, you know, 13 blokes who can get together at the weekend to have a game together, which doesnt point to expansion of the game. Point, yeah go on!

Following the Rugby League International Federation’s decision earlier this week to immediately outlaw the shoulder charge from the International Laws of the Game, the RFL has banned the shoulder charge from all domestic competitions with immediate effect.

The RLIF’s ban sees the shoulder charge outlawed for the Rugby League World Cup and PROBIZ World Club Challenge and the RFL’s decision will see the shoulder charge made illegal in all competitions, including Super League, Tetley’s Challenge Cup, Kingstone Press Championships and Northern Rail Cup, as well as community game competitions.

RFL Laws Committee Secretary Blake Solly said: “The RFL believes that player safety is of paramount importance and we are committed to ensuring that our players can compete in the safest possible environment.

“We understand that the shoulder charge is popular with many people in Rugby League, but we also have a duty to manage the welfare and safety of players involved in the game at all levels.

“We have contributed to the RLIF’s discussions about the shoulder charge and whilst we believed the challenge should not be banned, we consider that the RLIF Board have followed the correct process and allowed each member nation to provide a view on the law change.

It is right that the RLIF should have ultimate control over issues such as this, and we remain committed to standardising the Laws of the Game across all nations and competitions.

"We had agreed with the RLIF the option to delay the implementation because we are in season, but the RFL Board has agreed that it is best to immediately implement the ban on the shoulder charge across all domestic competitions.

“We believe this decision will help ensure the future safety of our players whilst not adversely detracting from the on-field excitement of the sport.”-ends-

John LedgerCommunications Manager

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Eleanor Roosevelt

A quick search for Rugby League on Youtube will show just how big an aspect of the game the shoulder charge is for fans. So many of the videos with high-views are based around big hits, which are subsequently dominated by shoulder charges.

This is a knee-jerk reaction that could end up having big effects on the game. I understand why the RFL did but I think they should at least have waited to see the reaction in the NRL. Let's not forget, their season hasn't started and we're yet to see how fans will react to this aspect being removed.

Peter smith from the YEP suggesting the RFL didn't want to make the change but did so to keep everyone playing to the same rules.

Complete lack of backbone from the RFL. They should have had the nuts to ban players for long periods for serious foul player in the past, and we wouldn't have reached this moment.

For what Rangi Chase did to Ropati should have had him sat down for 10 games, Bousquet on Fages, again 10 games.. If the RFL would have made a stance originally on such illegal tackles we wouldnt have seen incidents like Chase's hit on Hardaker and Bousquets hit on Fages.

They talk about player welfare etc, but what are the RFL going to do when a player cops a high shot and ends up with a broken jaw?.. 2 games for the offender?..

The NRL made their change because they were worried about one day getting sued, the RFL made their decision because they didn't know what else to do.

The actual banning of the shoulder charge doesn't worry me to much, its the way the RFL have gone about all this thats annoyed me, and a part of our game has been lost all because they lack guts.

You could argue very, very few....how many incidents have we seen that would be penalised? How many of us have witnessed one in the last month?Season? Year? and so on...

However, you could also ask, how many tackle attempts will be affected? Less strenuous? Half hearted? because players may be afraid of getting it slightly wrong and being penalised? We don't want a soft version of rugby league.

Questions, questions, questions - at the end of the day, the decision has been made, and at least we can say it's the same for both sides, a level playing field. Hopefully, it will decrease any chances of injury and subsequent loss of players to our teams whilst they recover due to these supposed rare incidents (there are other ways to cause this, and many are accidental)

The thing that worries me is putting our beloved officials under further pressure to make identical decisions in a split second - surely it will have to be something that goes to the VR on tv games, and unfortunately, on report for review in others - which ultimately means the damage to that particular game is done i.e. the player deemed to have made the illegal tackle remains on the pitch? Or are we saying yellow card/red card - and then have uproar?

I'm confused and rambling - and couldn't be bothered reading through the pages - apologies if all I have said has been covered

Whilst I do not suffer fools gladly, I will always gladly make fools suffer

A man is getting along on the road of wisdom when he realises that his opinion is just an opinion

I think at the very least what we have is a PR disaster. It's clear that fans and players feel very strongly about it and many see it as an exciting part of the game. Look at the reaction to Sonny Bill or Sam Burgess. I think it dampens enthusiasm for the game and like I said earlier the NRL have had a whole off-season to prepare and I'd like to have seen how they are feeling about 6 weeks or so before we followed suit.

Peter smith from the YEP suggesting the RFL didn't want to make the change but did so to keep everyone playing to the same rules.

Typical spineless response. It was the Aussies who changed the rules and we just kowtow. Ludicrous. We should have stood our ground for once. Personally, I hope the players just break the rule and go for it anyway.

Typical spineless response. It was the Aussies who changed the rules and we just kowtow. Ludicrous. We should have stood our ground for once. Personally, I hope the players just break the rule and go for it anyway.

I don't think there is any doubt that the NRL effectively run the game now and have for some time.

This only really worries me because of their attitudes to international RL and the fact that they are deeply Australia-centred.

Edit: I'm not really criticising the RFL for this, it's a natural consequence of a) their being a much larger organisation and the fact we need them more than they need us. I was disappointed how quickly they have given in this time. Who knows, after 2 months the NRL might have backtracked if things haven't gone well.

The Shoulder Charge· Shoulder Charge – is where a defender, without attempting to tackle, grab or hold the ball-carrier (or any opposing player) using the arms or hands, makes direct physical contact with the shoulder or the upper arm (tucked into the side).

· Match Officials should look for hip rotation from the defender and the tucking of the arm into the side. If contact is made with and opponent with or without the ball then a penalty should be awarded. If contact is made with the head of an opponent then the player should be dismissed from the field of play.

· A player should always attempt to tackle using the arms or hands and therefore any player who uses a shoulder charge on a supporting player or a kicker should be treated in the same way as someone who shoulder charges a ball carrier.

· If two players are running side by side, near to and towards the ball, it is permissible for one to make contact with the other with the shoulder.

I think at the very least what we have is a PR disaster. It's clear that fans and players feel very strongly about it and many see it as an exciting part of the game. Look at the reaction to Sonny Bill or Sam Burgess.

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What a crock of shht.... Every tackle that knocks a player over is guna get supporters shouting shoulder charge, its just making things even harder on the refs to try n spot a shoulder charge. The decision to do a shoulder charge happens in a split second on instict as burgess said you now have to change the way you think n try and change what you instinct has done for years.

Theres guna be games ruined with a sending off were neither the tackler or the tacklee have realized any wrong doing n neither are injured